Tessa's Temptation(27)

"My arms are the only place you belong." He held her, running his hand  down her side. "Don't fall asleep. You need to get your little butt into  that bed."

"Not yet," she mumbled. "This is too relaxing."

"You're spoiled."

"It's your fault."

"I suppose it is." He laughed. "I can't say no to you."

"I just thought of something," she said.                       
       
           



       

"What is it?"

"If you had an apartment off the kitchen why didn't you let me move in  there?" She paused for a moment. "Not that I would have wanted to but  wouldn't that have made your life so much easier?"

"Easier? Yes, but nowhere near as interesting." He'd thought about  having her move into the space off the kitchen when he agreed to let her  live with him, but decided against it. "I wanted you close." He cupped  his hand over her hipbone. "Something told me I needed you here with  me."

"I'm glad I'm here with you."

"Me too, sweetheart. Me too."



***



Tess glanced at her phone for the time.

I'm late. How had she managed to oversleep? Chase had kissed her head  and told her to get up before he went to work, but when he left the  bedroom she'd closed her eyes for just a minute and now it was an hour  later.

She grabbed her coat from the hall closet and hurried to the garage. The  tapping at the front door stopped her. May had an appointment and  wouldn't be there until late morning. Tess went back down the hall. She  peeked out the side windowpane and saw Audra standing on the porch.

Tess opened the door wondering why she was at the house and not at the office.

"Hi," Audra said when Tess greeted her. "I have some papers for Chase."

"Okay but why didn't you take them to the office?" She pushed the door  open and motioned for Audra to come inside. "Don't you work there?"

"I have an appointment with a client and then I'm taking the afternoon  off." She bulled past Tess into the house. "I'll just leave these on his  desk. He's been really anxious for these papers. I didn't want to hold  on to them."

Tess glanced at the name on the envelope. The papers seemed to be from  an attorney named Seth Anders. Chase had mentioned Seth was his family's  attorney and he sometimes handled private business for him. She  wondered why Audra had the papers.

"I can put them on his desk." Tess held out her hand for the envelope. "I'll let him know you dropped them off."

"I know the way." Audra headed down the foyer to the back of the house. "I've spent many nights here."

"Have you?" Tess followed her to Chase's study.

"Chase is a workaholic." She walked boldly into his study. "So am I. It makes us a perfect match."

"I'll bet."

Audra set the envelope neatly in the center of the desk, pulling out a  notepad from the side drawer and scrawling a little note for him.

"I guess those papers are important?" Tess asked as she came into the room. "For you to make a special trip here."

"I'm his attorney. I don't mind." She came around from Chase's desk.  Tess couldn't help but notice how comfortable she acted there. How many  nights had she spent in Chase's house? "I think he's crazy to buy this  property out on Hollow Lake, but you know him; when he sees something he  wants," her gaze traveled down Tess's body, "he can't control himself."

"Hollow Lake?" Tess ignored Audra's insinuation when she heard the location of the property. "What did he buy out there?"

"Some old fishing cabin and the five acres it sits on. I don't know what  he would want with that. He can't develop it commercially. What would  he want a lake house for? He'll have a hard time getting rid of it. It's  in the middle of nowhere."

"My family had a cabin out there when I was a kid. I used to spend the summers there with my folks."

"Hmm." Audra scrunched her face in an unflattering expression. "How very nature of you."

"It was a great place." Tess smiled when she recalled the family time up there. "That's where I met Chase."

"Really?"

"Well, I don't exactly remember it since I was so young, but he spent a  few summers there before my parents got divorced and we gave the place  up."

"I'm surprised Chase didn't tell you he was interested in some land there."

"He doesn't always tell me everything." Not that Tess expected Chase to  tell her every purchase he made, but she wondered why he would buy land  out on the lake that she loved so much and not tell her.

"I'll bet that's true." Audra sneered. "He can be rather difficult sometimes. Trust me, I know him pretty well."

You make that clear every chance you get.

"He's very private." She stepped out into the hall. "So, I know where your dad is these days, but where's your mother?"                       
       
           



       

Does it really matter?

Audra talked over her shoulder at Tess. "You mentioned her a few minutes ago. Do you see her often?"

Not for years. Tess followed behind her. "We're not close. The last time  I spoke with her she was living with her husband in Philadelphia."  She'd only spoken to her mother a few times since she'd graduated high  school. When her mother didn't come to the ceremony, Tess decided they  really didn't have much of a relationship.

"You stayed with your dad when they got divorced?"

"Yes, she didn't leave me much of a choice." Her mother had packed up  her things and left while Tess was at school. When she came home her  father couldn't function. It took him a long time to get himself  together. "It was better I stayed with my dad." Tess had always been  convinced of that. Her mother was resilient, but her father wasn't so  durable. At least not when it came to love. Her mother had broken his  heart and he had never quite recovered.

"That must have been hard," Audra said as they came to the foyer.  "Growing up without a female role model. I couldn't imagine my life  without my mom."

"Some women aren't that good at being maternal. My mother was one of them. It's not a big deal for me. I managed."

"You're pretty tough, Tessa." She zipped up her jacket. "Not at all Chase's type."

"I wasn't aware he had a type."

"They all have a type." She laughed. "You're young but you'll figure out what they want."

"Do you think you have Chase figured out?" What was her deal? Was she  just his attorney or did she want something else from Chase? "You've  known him for a while so maybe you have some inside information for me."

"He's far too complicated." She reached for the doorknob. "Maybe a girl like you has the energy to tame him."

"Tame him?" Tess shook her head. "The one thing I have figured out about  him is he'll never be tamed. He's a free spirit. One who takes charge  and goes after the things he wants. A man like Chase can't be  contained."

"Looks like you're doing just fine on your own." Audra opened the door.  "Let him know I dropped off the package. Tell him I still think his  investment stinks."

"I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"I used to think that too." She crossed the porch. "See you around."

"Bye." As Audra hurried out to her car, the cool November air danced  across Tess's face. Audra stopping by was strange and left her feeling  unsettled. There was more to her visit than dropping off a package. What  is she up to?

Tess didn't have time to think about it now. She'd already missed her  first class and was on her way to being late for the second one.  Whatever Audra wanted …  She pushed the thought away and focused on  getting to the campus.





Chapter Sixteen



Chase came into the kitchen from the garage. It had been a long day and  nothing seemed to go right. All he wanted to do was pour a glass of  wine, have a quiet dinner and cuddle with his girl. He watched Tessa  setting the table.

"Something smells good," he said as she turned and smiled at him. Hands down, that moment was the best part of his crappy day.

"Hi." She hurried to him and wrapped her arms around him. "May left beef stew and those homemade biscuits you like so much."

"Bless that woman." He kissed her. "How was your day?"

"I overslept."

"Uh, oh." He grinned. "Maybe you should try going to sleep earlier."

"I would but I share a bed with a very horny man."

"Are you complaining?" He squeezed her firm ass cheeks. "Sleeping next  to a naked woman who looks like you- well, I can't be held responsible  for what happens."